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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23215816">Family Found</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliveBranched/pseuds/OliveBranched'>OliveBranched</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Found Family, Gen, inspired works</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:33:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,207</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23215816</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliveBranched/pseuds/OliveBranched</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luc Brenatto &amp; Veth Brenatto &amp; Yeza Brenatto, Veth Brenatto &amp; Beauregard Lionett, Veth Brenatto &amp; Yeza Brenatto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Goodbye</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346897">The Runaway</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteravenGreywolf/pseuds/WhiteravenGreywolf">WhiteravenGreywolf</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Veth didn’t cry when Beau left them to begin her training at the Cobalt Soul. She had finally spoken to the strange blue woman who had been hanging around the library, who had turned out to be Expositor Dairon of the Cobalt Soul who wanted to recruit Beau into their ranks. Veth and Yeza were proud beyond words of their daughter, and made sure that she had everything she needed before she traveled to Zadash, and stalwartly did not cry when they saw her off.</p>
<p>“Are you sure you’ll be fine without me?” Beau asked, pack shouldered reluctantly on her back. “Who’s gonna look after Luc when you’re working?”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about that, Beau.” Yeza assured her. “Your mother and I had already discussed that before the gods blessed us with you. We still have a few tricks up our sleeves.” Beau sniffled and nodded.</p>
<p>“Well, then I guess I’ll be off?” Her voice trailed up into a question, as if one word from her parents would convince her not to go, as if Veth or Yeza would ever take this opportunity away from their daughter.</p>
<p>“Travel safe, dear. We’ll hold down the fort until you come back home.” Veth told her, caressing her hand gently.</p>
<p><em>Home.</em> Beau thought. That was something she never thought she’d have until a strange, goblin-obsessed pregnant Halfling found her in the forest that day. And now, it was tearing her almost in half to leave the life she’d made here.</p>
<p>“Don’t miss me too much, okay?” Beau would deny until the fabric of the universe unraveled that her voice wavered. It <em>didn’t waver.</em> She knelt down so that she was eye level with her parents, and her little brother, Luc. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise.” Beau kissed Yeza and then Veth on their cheeks, and held her arms out for Luc. He ran into them, blubbering and sniffling.</p>
<p>“Sis…sis!” He cried, and Beau’s heart quivered. She smooched him on his chubby little cheek and held him close to her chest.</p>
<p>“I promise I’ll be back soon, buddy, I <em>promise.</em>” She breathed into his soft tufts of hair, kissed him once on the top of his head, then set him back down next to Veth, who grabbed hold of his hand to keep him from running back to Beau. “Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. I’ll write as often as I can, and I’ll come back to visit as soon as they let me.”</p>
<p>With that, Beau turned and hopped onto the cart that would take her to Zadash, to the Cobalt Soul. To the next chapter of her life. She waved to Veth, Yeza, and Luc until they were out of sight, then she allowed herself to covertly brush the tears from her eyes.</p>
<p>Veth didn’t cry when Beau left to begin her training at the Cobalt Soul. She waited until her daughter was completely out of sight to let the tears fall.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Sacrifice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Beau comes back to visit her family, and finds them gone.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Beau hadn’t felt this kind of fear in years, not since she was almost forcibly taken to Zadash by mercenaries in league with Thoreau—</p>
<p>
  <em>she refused to call him her father, he would never be her father—</em>
</p>
<p>But now, standing in the doorway to the apothecary shop that formed the from of her home and seeing it dark and empty, chairs overturned and bottles smashed on the floor as though there had been a struggle inside, Beau felt herself paralyzed with the kind of fear that came from experience.</p>
<p>Someone had taken her family.</p>
<p>The thought was almost enough to send her to her knees, but she knew that if someone had indeed taken her family, that she needed to work quickly in order to find them. Veth and Yeza were clever and more than capable, but Luc was so small, if anything happened to him—She stopped that thought before it could take root. She wouldn’t let any harm befall her family, not while she was still breathing.</p>
<p>Beau tightened the hand wraps she wore constantly now, part of her Cobalt Soul vestments, and readjusted the quarterstaff slung over her shoulder before she sprinted out of the shop and into the street. She didn’t make it very far before she saw—</p>
<p>“Dad!” Beau screamed, and caught up with the Halfling man, falling to her knees before him and wrapping him in a crushing hug. “Dad, I’m so glad you’re all right! I just got home and saw the shop and I…” She trailed off as she noticed that Luc was at Yeza’s side, clutching tightly to their father’s hand, and Yeza looked exhausted, red-eyed and frail. Then she noticed that Veth was not with them. “Dad…where’s Mom?”</p>
<p>Yeza didn’t have to say anything for Beau to understand what had happened. Luc tucked himself further into Yeza’s side, and Yeza’s eyes filled with tears before he ducked his head away from her gaze.</p>
<p>“No…no, she’s not…” Beau choked on the word like it was poison. “Dad, no!” Yeza met Beau’s eyes and the tear tracks on his face shattered some small part of her heart that Beau knew would never be repaired.</p>
<p>“Your mother, she…she saved us. Luc and I, we wouldn’t have made it back without her. I don’t know what exactly happened, but as Luc and I were running away, I heard her scream—” Yeza cut himself off with a choked sob and Beau gathered the two Halflings into her arms as the tears fell from her own eyes. “She didn’t make it, Beau. She sacrificed herself so Luc and I could escape.”</p>
<p>The three of them didn’t break from their embrace until the sun had set beyond the horizon. When they finally made their way back to the house, Beau steeled herself to be strong for her dad and Luc and led the two into her old bedroom. The three collapsed into a heap onto her bed and huddled together, weeping and mourning Veth Brenatto.</p>
<p>Beau swore to herself that once she had heard the full story from her dad, once she knew Yeza and Luc were safe, that she would return to the Cobalt Soul and finish her training so that she could avenge her mother.</p>
<p>But for now, she curled around her little brother and her dad, and held them together while their whole world fell apart around them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Introductions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nott's perspective upon meeting Beau in Trostenwald</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nott recognized Beau as soon as her attention was drawn to their table in that tavern. Her heart stopped in her chest and her breath caught. Thankfully, Caleb didn’t notice how Nott’s eyes were locked on Beau, and how they filled with tears when Beau spoke to her in Halfling. There was no way Nott could have explained away the look on her face, or have told Caleb about Beau without revealing everything to him. Worse still, there was no way she could ever tell Beau.</p>
<p>What would her daughter think of her now? Beau had always been so proud of Veth, but now…how could she look at her and still see a creature worth loving? From the first moment they met, Veth had warned her about goblins and how dangerous they were. How could Beau ever love her now? Silently, in a small part of her heart that she had locked away when she awoke in this new body, she mourned the family she once had. Right beside it, she stored the brimming feeling of pride at the sight of her daughter, decked out in Cobalt Soul vestments, travelling and socializing with new people. Hopefully their paths would cross on occasion as she and Caleb travelled through the Empire, so that she could catch a glimpse of her daughter, now a fully-fledged adult every once in a while.</p>
<p>Even though Nott knew that would never be enough to sate the gnawing ache inside of her every time she thought of her family.</p>
<p>Once Beau and her new friends took notice of them, Nott made a concerted effort to look at all three of the people at the table, not only at Beau, to avoid arousing their suspicion. When Beau spoke kindly to her and Caleb, a small seed of hope filled her heart. Maybe her daughter would be able to see past her new body and recognize the soul of Veth that lived inside.</p>
<p>“I mean, I’m sorry, not to be blunt, but, you know. It’s pretty obvious goblins are not welcome strolling about.” Caleb bristled slightly at the other table’s intent observation of Nott.</p>
<p>“She’s a goblin?!” The blue tiefling—<em>Jester, she said her name was Jester</em>—gasped, and the look of hatred and rage that flared up in her daughter’s eyes crushed and hope that might have been growing inside of Nott. Of course her daughter would hate goblins. It was the first thing Veth had ever taught her, after all. Surely Beau had gone home at some point since Veth’s…transformation, and had heard from Yeza what had happened. She’s sure that Yeza thought her dead, and in her current state, she might as well be. Beau was single-minded when it came to her family, so if goblins had killed her mother, Beau would never see a goblin as someone who could be good, who could be loved.</p>
<p>Nott was broken from her devastated consideration by a commotion at the entrance to the tavern, and suddenly they were swept off by Mollymauk and Yasha towards their circus performance that night. Part of her was overjoyed that Beau and her new friends would be accompanying them, anything to spend more time with her daughter, but the rest of her was anxiously awaiting the time when Beau would corner her and try to kill her for being the same thing that killed her mother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-----------------------------------------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nott was actually the one to suggest that they all travel together, after the whole business with Kylre and clearing their names. After spending so much time with Beau and her friends, and Molly and Yasha as well, she didn’t want to leave this newfound sense of family that she had found.</p>
<p>Okay, she mainly wanted to stay close to her daughter and make sure she was safe, even though Beau had made it abundantly clear that she was more than capable of taking care of herself over the past few days, it did nothing to ease Nott’s maternal instincts towards her daughter.</p>
<p>“Well, I suppose we should all go to sleep and then if any of us are here in the morning, we’ll set off together?” Nott suggested cautiously. The half-orc and the purple tiefling agreed easily enough, but of course, Beau still harbored old fears of not being wanted.</p>
<p>“You guys want me to tag along with you?” Beau asked, and Nott heard the slight quiver in her voice that she recognized as her daughter trying to stay strong in the face of potential rejection. She knew the feeling well, nowadays.</p>
<p>“If you weren’t too anxious to run off anywhere.” Fjord assured her, and Nott saw her shoulders relax infinitesimally as she chuckled.</p>
<p>“No. I’m free on my backpack tour. No plans.” Nott’s heart soared in her chest. Maybe being like this for the foreseeable future wouldn’t be so bad, with these new friends, and her daughter, travelling with her. Maybe she would find the courage to tell Beau who she was and what had happened someday. Though as Nott caught sight of the suspicious glances Beau was throwing at her and Caleb as they made plans, she wasn’t too hopeful about her chances.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Felderwyn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nott the Brave has some explaining to do in the town of Felderwyn</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As they neared Felderwyn, the stone that had been sitting in Nott’s stomach for the entire trip seemed to triple in size. Beau had perked up when they mentioned stopping in Felderwyn, though she wouldn’t say why, and Nott had cautiously revealed that she knew someone in Felderwyn without naming any names. She planned to keep her emotions in check during their visit, and, if Beau decided to wander off on her own to visit Luc and Yeza, then she wouldn’t interfere. The only problem Nott imagined arising was if Beau decided that she wanted to introduce the Mighty Nein to Luc and Yeza. She didn’t know if she could take seeing her husband and her son and keep up the façade of Nott the Brave.</p>
<p>Fortunately for Nott, she didn’t have to worry about Beau trying to introduce the Nein to her family.</p>
<p>Their cart rumbled down the eastern thoroughfare of Felderwyn, jostling their bones over cobblestones and loose gravel in the streets. She had started drinking heavily out of her flask as soon as they entered the city, but with each passing block, the anxiety grew, and so did the size of the gulps she took from her flask. They turned the corner that should show them her home, their apothecary, only to see people shuffling through the rubble of the burned buildings, trying to salvage what could be found.</p>
<p>“No…” slipped out of Beau’s mouth, so quiet that it was almost inaudible, but Nott heard her as clear as day. Her heart was pounding out the same sentiment, <em>nononononononononono</em>—</p>
<p>“Stop the cart!” Nott shouted, then was shocked at the sound of her own voice. She hadn’t meant to say that. The second the cart ground to a halt, she and Beau leapt out of the cart almost simultaneously. Nott saw the Crownsguard milling amongst the people and took a moment to disguise herself as a Gnomish woman while Beau ran ahead to the ruins of the apothecary and began digging through the rubble. Nott joined her in searching, and was startled to hear a voice at her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Hey, you looking for help?” Nott looked up into the face of a female Crownsguard and was about to answer her when Beau nearly bowled her over in her haste to grab the woman by her shoulders.</p>
<p>“This place was my dad’s. Is he all right? Where is he???” Nott heard the telltale wetness of tears in Beau’s voice and fought to hold back some of her own. The Crownsguard gave a pitying look to Beau and removed her hands from her arms.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, miss. We haven’t seen him. But we haven’t found a body either, so that’s something. Terrible, isn’t it? We aren’t supposed to get these things this far west. I sure as hell don’t want to fight those things.” Nott hauled herself up to the Crownsguard’s side.</p>
<p>“What things?” She pleaded. If goblins had taken her family again and she hadn’t been there to protect them this time—</p>
<p>“The Cricks. The things that came in and did this.” The Crownsguard answered, and Nott sagged against Beau’s side in relief. “Oh hey, if this place was your dad’s, then I have a bit of good news for you. His boy, Luc, was found safe and is staying with…what’s her name?” She asked of the other Crownsguard, who replied, “Old Edith.”</p>
<p>Beau thanked the Crownsguard for their help and called the rest of the Mighty Nein to help excavate what they could of the apothecary. Eventually, they uncovered and made their way into the basement where they found notes and equipment that had been used to research something called “dunamis.”</p>
<p>“How does your father fit into all of this, Beauregard?” Caleb asked and Nott bristled.</p>
<p>“Well he’s an excellent alchemist. They’d probably need someone like that, but the Xhorhasians weren’t doing this. Someone else was, right? Your people.” Beau spat the words at Caleb and Nott found herself nodding along in agreement.</p>
<p>“<em>Your </em>people.” Nott saw Caleb flinch, but Beau didn’t back down.</p>
<p>“<em>Your people</em> were doing experiments and trying to find out and harness the power of—what? <em>It’s your people!</em> It’s the people that you know and you trained with. Well, fuck him! It’s your people that have done this to <em>my people</em>, and we have to find them both.” Nott noticed that Caleb had gone stock still and deathly pale in the middle of the room. Fjord calmly interjected to try and ease some of the tension.</p>
<p>“We sent a message once. Is it worth trying again?” Beau brushed him off.</p>
<p>“Not right now. I have to go see Lady Edith right now.” She turned around and stomped out of the room. Nott made to follow her, but stopped when she heard Caleb vomiting behind her and turned back to him. Nott approached him cautiously and rubbed a small circle on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“It’ll all be okay, Caleb. I promise, it’ll all be okay.” Then Nott turned and followed Beau to Old Edith’s house.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>--------------------------------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>By the time Nott reached Old Edith’s house, Beau was already inside, on her knees in front of Luc, the two of them crying into each other’s necks. Nott almost turned back, but at the sound of her childrens’s quiet sobs, she made a split second decision. She disguised herself as Veth Brenatto, temporarily restoring herself to her former appearance and stepped into the doorway of Old Edith’s house.</p>
<p>Edith turned from where she was looking at the siblings to see her new guest and stopped mid-sentence. “Hello, how can I—Veth? I thought you were—” Edith was cut off by a choked sob from behind her.</p>
<p>“Mommy?” Tears filled Nott’s eyes as Luc’s little face peeked out from Beau’s neck and his eyes locked on her. Beau cried harder and shook her head.</p>
<p>“No, buddy. Mom’s not here anymore, remember? We’ve gotta be strong for Dad without her.” Luc tugged on a loose lock of Beau’s hair.</p>
<p>“Sis…Sis, look!” Beau took in a deep, rattling breath and slowly, oh, so slowly, turned around to look at the figure in the door. As soon as their eyes met, the tears Nott had been holding back fell freely and Beau gasped like she had been punched in the stomach.</p>
<p>“Mom?” Beau whispered the word, like if she spoke too loudly, then the vision of her mother would disappear and she’d be alone again. Nott simply nodded, and took a tentative step towards her children. Beau choked out a sob and pulled Nott into her embrace as soon as she was within reach.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>---------------------------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The three Brenattos stayed that way for a span of time that was too short, would never have lasted long enough for any of them. They were interrupted by the rest of the Mighty Nein, Caduceus knocking gently on the door to draw them out of their reverie. Edith gently extricated Luc from Beau and Nott’s arms where he had fallen asleep, and took him upstairs to put him to bed.</p>
<p>Once the Nein were alone, Beau took stock of their group and noticed that Caleb still looked horribly shaken from earlier, and she realized the enormity of what exactly she had said to him. “Oh, Gods, Caleb, I’m so sorry. I never should’ve said any of that shit to you, I just…I was so worried I had lost my dad too and…” Beau noticed that her group was one member short. “Wait a second…where’s Nott? She was with us in the basement, where’d she go?”</p>
<p>“After you left to find Edith she followed you. We haven’t seen her since.” Fjord shrugged. Beau furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to suggest they start looking for her, but was interrupted by Veth clearing her throat behind her.</p>
<p>“Beau…I have a confession to make, and I can only hope that you’ll forgive me.” Beau turned around just in time to see the form of her mother shift and change into the visage of her little goblin friend, Nott.</p>
<p>“I don’t…what…?” Beau stammered, unable to process what she saw, unaware of the confused reactions of the Nein behind her.</p>
<p>“When you were training at the Soul, your father and brother and I were captured by the goblins I used to warn you about. I was able to cause a distraction so your father and Luc could escape but…I killed their leader in the scuffle and they—” Nott muffled a sob into her clawed hands. “They drowned me. And when I woke up I looked like this.” Nott gestured to her goblin form.</p>
<p>“And you…you knew it was me? You knew the <em>whole time</em>?” Beau questioned, voice tight and strained. Nott just nodded, eyes on the floor.</p>
<p>“I recognized you the second I laid eyes on you in Trostenwald. You have no idea it meant to me when you spoke to me in Halfling. But then, when you found out I was a goblin, the look in your eyes…I don’t blame you, Beau. How could I? The first thing I ever told you was that goblins were dangerous, and then you found out that they had kidnapped your father and brother and killed your mother. How could I ever expect you to love what I’d become? <em>I</em> hated me. I would never blame you for hating me, too.” Nott rubbed at her eyes furiously, scrubbing away tears and stalwartly not looking at Beau.</p>
<p>“These past several months have been the happiest times of my life since I woke up like this. You’ve grown up, Beau, and you’re so very strong and brave and capable, and <em>I am so proud of you.</em> It killed me to never be able to tell you how proud I am of you and how much I love you and how very, very much I’ve missed you all this time. I understand if you’re angry with me for keeping this from you, and I understand if you want me to leave, and I will, I promise, but I—”</p>
<p>Nott was cut off by the feeling of two strong arms wrapping her up into a hug that stole the breath from her lungs. She could feel Beau’s face tucked into her neck—just like it had been with Luc, just like it used to be when she would cry in Veth’s arms so many years ago—and she could feel the warmth and wetness of tears seeping into her clothes.</p>
<p>“You are <em>never</em> leaving me again.” Beau sobbed into Nott’s shoulder as Nott’s arms tentatively came around Beau. “I already lost you once, you think I could go through it again?” Beau pulled back and cupped Nott’s face in her hands. “You’ve become one of my closest friends, I trust you with my life. I wouldn’t have wanted you to leave before this, and you think I’d want you to leave now? <em>Mom.</em>” Beau pulled her close again, and the two women cried into each other’s necks. If they had looked at their friends, they would have seen the tears in their eyes as well.</p>
<p>“You and me, we’re gonna stick together, and we’re gonna find Dad, and we’re gonna bring him home, and then we’re all gonna be together again, okay?” Nott swallowed around the lump in her throat and nodded at Beau.</p>
<p>Maybe everything would turn out all right.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Reunions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yeza, Beau, and Nott in the Dungeons of Penance</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a long journey to Xhorhas. To Yeza. But after so long separated, Shadowhand Essek Thelyss finally led the Mighty Nein down into the Dungeons of Penance, where Yeza was being held. Nott and Beau had decided that Beau should go in first, that the first thing Yeza sees after so long in captivity shouldn’t be an illusion. Essek carefully opened the door and ushered Beau inside. She saw her father curled in the corner of the cell, haggard and frail, but <em>alive</em>. Yeza squinted at the dim light seeping into the darkness of the cell.</p>
<p>“Who’s—who’s there?” Yeza’s voice came through, wavering but clear, and Beau had to clear the lump from her throat before she replied.</p>
<p>“It’s me, Dad. It’s Beau.” Yeza tried to make out her form as his eyes adjusted, and finally he saw enough to be convinced.</p>
<p>“Beau…Beau, it’s really you!” He reached out for her and she moved instantly into his open arms, picking him up to sit in her lap so she could support his weak body. “I’ve missed you so much, my dear.” Beau rubbed her hand up and down his back soothingly.</p>
<p>“I’ve missed you too, Dad. We stopped in Felderwyn to see you guys, and found the shop…well it’s gonna need some work when we get you back, but Luc is safe. He’s been staying with Old Edith, and we sent them to Aulfield with one of our friends looking after them. They’re both safe.” Beau could feel Yeza breathe a sigh of relief against her chest.</p>
<p>“I’m so glad he’s okay. I’m so glad <em>you’re</em> okay. With all the unrest in the Empire, I was worried that you…but it’s okay. You’re here now.” Beau smiled and gestured for Nott to come into the room. Nott quickly disguised herself as Veth and made her way into the cell.</p>
<p>“There’s something else I’ve gotta tell you, Dad. I’m not here alone. I brought some pretty special friends with me. We call ourselves the Mighty Nein. I think you’ll really like our resident alchemist. She’s a lot like you, actually.” Yeza laughed gently.</p>
<p>“I bet she reminds you a lot of Mom, doesn’t she, Beau?” Yeza sniffled and Beau squeezed him a little tighter.</p>
<p>“Actually—”</p>
<p>“Yeza.” Nott cut Beau off and Yeza went stiff in Beau’s arms. She eased her grip on the Halfling man who peered around her shoulder towards the source of the voice.</p>
<p>“Veth? Oh my Gods, Veth, I thought you were dead!” Yeza carefully climbed out of Beau’s lap and started to make his way towards Nott, who held up a hand to stop him. “Veth, what’s…what’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Before you come any closer, I just want to let you know, things are a little different than they were before, right? Just keep an open mind, and remember that, you know, sometimes we look different, but in our hearts we’re still very much the same.” Yeza looked at Nott, confused but nodded.</p>
<p>“So you’re really alive? I thought the packages were a joke somebody was playing on me. Was that really you?” Yeza peered at her intently, searching for any sign of deception.</p>
<p>“It was me. I was trying to make sure you were taken care of. I know you’re a terrible, terrible cook and—”</p>
<p>“Unless it’s compounds, yeah.” The two of them shared a laugh at their old joke and Beau felt her heart glow. “Where…where have you been?” Beau saw Nott gulp heavily. This would be the hard part.</p>
<p>“A lot has happened. When we separated that night, I—I was taken and terrible things were done to me, and I was…changed a bit.” Yeza reached forward, to cup her face.</p>
<p>“That’s okay—” Nott flinched away, and Yeza’s hand stopped midair.</p>
<p>“No, don’t—don’t touch me. Not yet, anyway. I’m sorry. It’s just, what you’re seeing is not how I really look. It’s an illusion. I look much different and I’m afraid you won’t like it. And that’s okay. Because it’s not me, it’s what they turned me into?” Yeza took a single, tiny step towards Nott.</p>
<p>“You think that matters?” Beau smiled. She’d almost forgotten how stubborn her dad could be.</p>
<p>“Yes, I do. It matters to me.” But she’d never forgotten how stubborn her mom could be.</p>
<p>“It’s still you, right?”</p>
<p>“It’s still me.” Yeza looked back at Beau for a second, for confirmation.</p>
<p>“And you’re alive?” Nott nodded.</p>
<p>“I am.” A huge smile broke out across Yeza’s face.</p>
<p>“That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.” Nott sniffled, holding back tears.</p>
<p>“If I show you, will you promise not to laugh or cry or, you know, throw a rock or something?” Yeza nodded earnestly and Nott stepped forward, almost withing touching distance of him. “They turned me into a monster, honey. And just, I won’t always be like this, but… You know, Beau made a good suggestion, earlier. Maybe come over and just take my hand first.” Nott extended her hand to Yeza, who reached out so slowly and cautiously, like he was afraid Nott would disappear if he touched her. He gently touched her fingertips, and took her hand and ran his fingers over hers. “It’s a little weird, right?”</p>
<p>“Maybe, but you’re warm.” Nott laughed a little, and Beau smiled.</p>
<p>“Touch my face.” Nott prompted, and Yeza reached out to run his hands over Nott’s face, feeling where the illusion didn’t hold up to reality, her longer, pointier ears, and her lightly fanged teeth. Beau let out a silent sigh of relief when Yeza didn’t flinch away.</p>
<p>“There’s a lot going on here.” Yeza stated, and Nott bowed her head. “But it’s you, right? It’s Veth?”</p>
<p>“It’s me. I mean, I think it is. It’s me inside, but it’s the wrong body. It’s the wrong body, but it’s the right me, so here, I’ll just show you.” Beau and Yeza drew in shaky gasps as Nott dropped her illusion spell, letting Veth fall away to show her goblinoid form. Yeza’s eyes roamed over her face, but he remained silent. Beau watched her mother’s face fall, and she slowly turned around to face the door, but her father stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.</p>
<p>“It’s still you though, right?” Nott nodded, unable to speak. “And that’s all that matters. It’ll take a little getting used to. I don’t even—that’s a lot of teeth.” Beau flinched, anxious at how that comment would affect Nott.</p>
<p>“It’s a lot of teeth, yep. I mean, we don’t have to kiss or anything. I don’t even know how that would work. I mean, I spent some time with the goblins, they held me prisoner, and they don’t really kiss and I can see why. It would just be like a lot of clacking.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Like throwing all the dishes into a pile, yeah.” Beau’s mouth dropped open. What was her dad <em>saying???</em> And then, after a few silent moments, her parents started laughing. Really, truly laughing, the way they all used to back at home in Felderwyn, before the Cobalt Soul, before any of this. It didn’t take long before Beau was laughing too.</p>
<p>Yeza and Nott turned their heads towards Beau’s seated form, and crowded around her, pulling her into a hug, one of them on each of her shoulders.</p>
<p>“Look at our daughter, Veth!” Yeza exclaimed, and ruffled Beau’s hair. “She’s all grown up now, and so strong!” Beau blushed and hid her face against Yeza’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“She’s very strong and such a badass, Yeza! She’s saved our lives countless times on the way here. Whatever they taught her at the Cobalt Soul, it’s served her well in our travels.” Nott planted a large, toothy kiss on the top of Beau’s head, sending her back into laughter.</p>
<p>“Mom, cut it out! I’m 25, I’m not a little kid anymore!” Nott cupped her face in her hands and locked eyes with her.</p>
<p>“No matter how old you get, you will <em>always</em> be my little girl.” Beau teared up and she pulled her parents into another crushing hug as they all clung to each other.</p>
<p>They would find a way to deal with whatever came their way next. They were together now, and that was what really mattered.</p>
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